Coles has been criticised for dumping a popular brand of 100 per cent Australian milk from dozens of stores in Victoria.
Gippsland Jersey milk, an award-winning dairy brand which is ‘proudly independent and Australian-owned’, was sold in dozens of Coles in Victoria but will now be stocked in just 16.
Sallie Jones and Steve Ronalds, who co-founded the beloved milk brand in 2016, said they were ‘bitterly disappointed’ by the decision.
‘The brand is being delisted from the majority of Coles stores due to the retailer’s margin requirements and sales expectations,’ the co-founders wrote on social media.
‘We are bitterly disappointed that Coles supermarket has a system that we believe doesn’t really work for little brands like us.
Gippsland Jersey milk, which is ‘proudly independent and Australian-owned’, will now be stocked in just 16 Coles’ stores nationwide
Sallie Jones and Steve Ronalds, co-founders of the beloved milk brand, said they were ‘bitterly disappointed’ by the supermarket giant’s decision
‘We’ve tried hard but we just don’t have the big advertising budgets and profitability to “go on sale” and drop our pants on giving them more margin and we certainly won’t be going broke trying to appease them.’
Many milk fans were furious about the decision and said they would be taking their business elsewhere.
‘If Coles won’t support local producers such as Gippsland Jersey and they put their profits over local jobs I’m done with Coles,’ wrote one.
Another said: ‘Hopefully those who were buying Gippsland Jersey from Coles will be able to swap to a local IGA or grocer.
‘We never buy anything else and never buy it from Coles.’
Another accused the supermarket behemoth of ‘disgusting’ behaviour.
Gippsland Jersey milk, which is ‘proudly independent and Australian-owned’, will now be stocked in just 16 Coles’ stores nationwide
A Coles spokesperson told 7News it was committed to selling Gippsland Jersey in stores ‘where we see most demand for this local brand from customers’.
But the owners of Gippsland Jersey said this customer-oriented decision overlooked the impact on the diary supply chain.
‘This decision by Coles overlooks the broader impact on family farms and rural communities, which depend on the viability of local dairy businesses like Gippsland Jersey to provide jobs and transport, etc and more importantly you would think in giving consumers a choice,’ the owners wrote.
They pointed that the majority of brands in the milk market were owned by large multinational corporations, such as the Canadian company Saputo or the French firm Parmalat.
‘When dairy farmers struggle, the effects ripple through the entire community, impacting local employment, schools, and small businesses,’ the owners added.
‘With fewer farmers, the volume of milk produced in Australia declines, exacerbating the challenges faced by the industry.’
Ms Jones and Mr Ronalds, who won best milk overall in Victoria by the Dairy Industry Association of Australia for 2024, called on consumers to vote with their wallets.
‘While supermarket giants focus on margins, it is up to us, the consumers, to make choices that reflect our values,’ they said.
‘By buying truly independent brands such as Gippsland Jersey milk, Maffra cheese, and other local products, we are not only choosing a superior product but also investing in the future of Australian dairy farming.’
A spokesperson for Coles said that the were committed to ‘giving customers choice when shopping’.
‘To ensure we have the right products available on shelf, we regularly review the ranges on offer to understand how items are being received by customers, and to help ensure the right products can be purchased by shoppers in parts of the country where there is most demand,’ the spokesperson added.
‘We remain committed to continuing to support independent and local producers, and from July, we will focus on selling Gippsland Jersey in 16 stores in Victoria where we see most demand for this local brand from customers.’